Naohiro Fujisaki, the designer of meanswhile, creates clothing based on the concept that "as everyday wear, clothes are tools, not costumes." The items he creates through the fusion of fashion and function are surprising and captivating with their new sensibilities. A pop-up event for meanswhile's pre-orders will be held at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building 7th floor = Men's Authentic from July 8th (Wed) to July 14th (Tue). We spoke with him about the brand concept and the pre-order collaboration items that will be introduced at this pop-up.



Designer: Naohiro Fujisaki

---<The reason behind starting Meanswhile
I had been making backpacks on my own since I was working as a company employee, and I decided to launch my own brand when I finally finished that bag. I remade the bag many times, and it took about three years to get it to a point where I was satisfied.

--- How the brand concept of "the tool closest to the body" came about


Regarding the brand concept, I think clothing can be broadly divided into aspects of everyday goods and aspects of costumes. Originally, when I was a student, I made wedding dresses and even won first place in a competition in Japan. Wedding dresses are something that women wear on a very special day in their lives, so I think it's fair to consider them as "costumes."

I had been thinking for a long time about the kind of clothing you wear on special occasions, so I think that's why I came to think that everyday clothes should be tools. That's why, as you can see in the brand concept statement, I included the phrase, "as long as it's everyday wear." I think that my experience creating both of these extremes allows me to think about clothes as tools with a unique perspective.


---What is the noteworthy collaboration item, "Air-Conditioned Clothing"?
Regarding the air-conditioned clothing we collaborated on this time, we were first approached by Kuchofuku, a leading company in air-conditioned clothing, about three years ago.
Because we prioritize creating clothing as a product, not just a fashion item, it often takes a long time to complete a project.

Air-conditioned work clothes are often used on construction sites and for welding work, and I've been seeing them more and more around town, but I found the act of wearing another layer of clothing when it's hot to be interesting and refreshing.
I thought this feature could be applied to various situations, so I was thinking about what kind of implementation would be best if we were to create it as Meanswhile.


---Achieved through the power of design! The fusion of rainwear and a fan.

When I considered situations where I might need to wear long-sleeved clothing even in hot weather, I thought of rainwear to protect myself from the rain. However, the function of drawing in outside air through the fan part is not compatible with rain, and there weren't many products on the market that combined the functions of rainwear and air-conditioned clothing.

While simply adding a rain cover to the fan would technically make it functional, such an tacked-on detail wouldn't fit in with everyday life. We aimed to solve this problem through the power of design, and proceeded with the design process with the idea of fusing fashion elements with functionality.

As a measure against the heat, this vest, which can be worn as conventional air-conditioned clothing, can be used as rainwear by attaching a part that integrates sleeves and fan covers on top of it.
There are many other features as well, so I would be delighted if you could come and see the actual product for yourself.

---We asked about their thoughts on this promotion.

I'm excited to see what kind of reaction we'll get from promoting a unique product that's versatile yet not commonly seen in the market, at Isetan, a store visited by a wide range of customers.

The visuals for this campaign were created with three scenarios in mind: outdoor activities such as cycling, fishing, and camping, where rainwear is often worn. The visuals were produced by HEADS TOKYO (*), a web magazine where renowned photographers, actors, designers, and other professionals in their respective fields express their hobbies, skills, activities, and culture through fashion and art. Beyond trends, many of the works focus on quite niche themes, offering a glimpse into the inner lives of creators. This is precisely why the visuals are so informative, making you want to examine even the smallest details of the photographs and stimulating your imagination.


The jacket we produced this time was a product that clearly defined the scenario of "air-conditioned clothing to wear in the rain," so I asked them to do a good job, and they delivered visuals that exceeded my expectations.
I think it's a work that really tells a story.

I believe this product will be useful in many situations, so I hope you can imagine yourself wearing it in various scenarios.

View Meanswhile products at Mitsukoshi Isetan Online Store


HEADS TOKYO (*) is available here.